


late night calls in the dark

by PurpleCatGhost



Series: HLVRAI Writetober 2020 [3]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Darnold is the mom friend, Darnold-Centric, Flashbacks, Fluff, G-Man is briefly mentioned but doesn't really appear, Good Karma, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleCatGhost/pseuds/PurpleCatGhost
Summary: Darnold often gets calls in the middle of the night.
Relationships: Darnold & Everyone, Implied Bubby/Coomer - Relationship, Tommy Coolatta/Darnold/Forzen
Series: HLVRAI Writetober 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949443
Comments: 6
Kudos: 92





	late night calls in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Day Three: Telephone
> 
> I'm late but I'm HERE so that counts, right?

As much as it surprises people at first, Darnold is more of a night owl than he lets on.

There’s something peaceful about working at night. The low hum from the refrigerator, the soft bubbling of chemicals, being able to focus as all is quiet, and on a particularly nice night, Darnold turns off most of the lights while he’s boiling one of his latest projects. Watching the chemicals changing color is both beautiful and satisfying given it means the potion was a success.

Darnold often gets so caught up in his work that he’s often up at odd hours of the night. Usually he doesn’t mind- Tommy is one hell of a cook and there’s nothing like waking up to the smell of food and soft kisses from his boyfriends telling him to wake up. Not to mention if Darnold ever doesn’t want to be alone, Forzen often likes to watch him work to clear his head, and there’s always Sunkist, who keeps him company.

There are downsides to working late at night however. Darnold tends to sleep in until noon and it’s harder for him to fall asleep earlier meaning he’s often a lot sleepier than he would like when it comes to Sunday Brunch.

But there’s one side effect that Darnold considers more neutral than anything. Given Darnold is frequently up at late hours, all of his friends know this and Darnold gets odd calls in the middle of the night.

Darnold has gotten enough of them from everyone that he’s come to expect a few things upon seeing their contact pop up when his phone is buzzing at 3AM.

Benrey is the most common. Nine times out of ten, he’s calling to ask Darnold to come play video games online with him, which occasionally Darnold does take him up on the offer. However on rare occasions, Benrey calls Darnold, goes on a long winded rant that Darnold only half understands, then tells Darnold he’s a good dude, says ‘Love you, bye’ and promptly hangs up. 

Darnold is never sure what to make of it given Benrey denies they ever had the conversation (Even if Darnold has recorded proof) but it’s harmless nonetheless so Darnold chooses to let it go.

When Bubby calls Darnold, it’s always because he needs a ride and one too many times, Darnold needs to bring a first aid kit as Bubby looks like he got into a fight and lost (Though Bubby insists he’s never lost a fight). Rarely does Bubby explain why he’s injured but he sits still and doesn’t so much as flinch as Darnold patches him up. 

Darnold isn’t sure if he should be impressed or concerned by that fact.

Once he’s done, Darnold immediately drives him home as they both know that’s where he needs to be. Bubby is almost always alarmingly silent on the trip there but once, Darnold catches two words murmured under his breath. _‘Damned prototypes’_ and nothing else. Darnold has had several questions ever since but Bubby won’t say anything more on the matter. He insists that it’s his business and ‘Nobody else needs to get hurt.’

Most days, Darnold is just glad he calls for help when he needs it at all.

When they arrive at Bubby and Coomer’s apartment, Bubby quietly thanks Darnold before slipping inside his building as soundlessly as possible.

Odd thing is, Bubby’s husband is even more of a wildcard than Bubby himself.

Some nights, Coomer calls Darnold to get his opinion on something. Others, Coomer needs his help on something he’s working on (Usually it’s a present for Bubby if that’s the case). Sometimes, Coomer calls Darnold because he got a bad feeling and just wanted to check up on him.

But on rare occasion, Coomer calls Darnold because he needs a ride home, speaking in a tone suspiciously similar to the one that Bubby uses when he calls. Darnold brings his first aid kit on a gut feeling and sure enough, Coomer’s fists are bruised and in desperate need of medical attention.

Coomer chuckles when Darnold sees him and tells him there’s no need to be alarmed and how he’s taken worse. He winces when Darnold applies disinfectant but more often than not, laughs it off. There’s a far away look in his eyes when Darnold asks him what happened.

“Sometimes,” Darnold remembers him saying once. He recalls it vividly, as it was one of the few times Coomer ever answered. “People want to relive what they think are their glory days. I used to be a fighter, you know! A boxer- and a damn good one at that. I quit a long time ago and started pursuing science instead, but I would still sneak out to the Black Mesa Underground Boxing Ring to go a few more rounds. Then after a while… I just started to go less and less before I realized it had been months. I had gotten so busy that I had completely abandoned my passion.”

Coomer smiled but he didn’t look happy for a moment. “Some days, I miss being young again. Boxing like my life depended on it, in my prime before the clones, Bubby and I against the world! Sometimes I’m worried that… _That_ Harold Coomer was the best version of me.”

Then came a soft look in his eye. It grew, causing him to smile for real. “But today... Well, I came to my senses to say the least! I’m happily married, the love of my life is free from Black Mesa, and I’m still in _excellent_ shape for my age. Perhaps I had good times back then, but times have changed- and for the better, no less! Onwards and upwards, ‘ey, Darnold?”

Darnold didn’t know what to say, his words got caught in his throat. Instead, he smiled and nodded, echoing the same sentiment.

Darnold almost never gets calls from Forzen or Tommy as they all live under the same roof. However, they have both asked favors of him in the dead of night. Forzen often asks for Darnold to talk about anything he chooses, just as long as it fills the silence. Tommy asks for Darnold to come to bed early, then holds onto him and Forzen tightly like he’s afraid they’re gonna disappear.

Darnold’s had his fair share of nightmares before but he’s lucky enough to have less than those two. Neither speak much about them but Darnold knows they get bad.

The least likely person that Darnold gets calls from (Other than Mr. Coolatta, but he’s always been an enigma) is Gordon. That being said, as soon as Darnold sees his contact picture pop up on his phone at 3AM, he’s already out the door.

Because Gordon has a bad habit of not asking for help unless he’s about to break. The fact that it’s 3AM only strengthens the urgency.

Darnold answers just as he reaches his car and tells Gordon he’ll be there in ten. Gordon’s already waiting for him on the curb when he arrives and enters the car without a second word. From there, Darnold drives to the first place he can think of where Gordon can get some air, away from prying eyes.

They end up at an outlook on a hill, the city below them and the only sounds being from nature. Darnold and Gordon sit on the gravel, eyes on the city lights and saying nothing. Darnold gives Gordon some space to breathe until he’s looking a little less flushed in the face.

“Hey, uh, you feeling better? This help?”

Gordon nodds, letting out a long breath in the process. “A lot better… I- thank you, Darnold. It means a lot to me that you’re doing this for me.”

“It’s no big deal-”

“It is to me.” Gordon cuts him off. He shifts his body towards Darnold. The look in his eyes is genuine and Darnold can’t help but feel good about it.

“What happened? If- if you don’t mind sharing that is.” Darnold quickly adds. Gordon huffs, taking a second to respond.

“Hard to explain but… Ever feel _trapped?_ Like you’re stuck in one place and something will go wrong if you try to leave but you’re trapped and you can’t do anything about it?”

_(It’s a miracle his lab is untouched by the disaster. The Resonance Cascade sends off alarms all through the facility and Darnold can hear the screams of his coworkers down the hall. It’s worse when they suddenly get silent._

_Darnold’s lab doors are set on automatic deadlock as a result of the disaster. It takes him a day and a half to break it but he doesn’t get very far. Darnold hears the military down the hall. He can’t leave. There’s no way out. Trapped below the ground and hopelessly alone, Darnold has no choice but to stay put-)_

“All too familiar with the feeling.” Darnold softly murmurs. “Go on.”

“I…” Gordon runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t know _why_ it happened but I got that feeling suddenly and… Needed an out.”

Darnold shoots Gordon a small but warm smile. “Ah well, nothing wrong with that! We all need to get out of our own heads every once in a while.”

“Yeah…” Gordon breathes. “Hey uh… Mind if we stay here for a while?”

Darnold shakes his head. “Not at all, I’ll be up for a while anyways.”

So they stay, watching the stars and the city below them until Gordon feels himself. The trip back is lighthearted and filled with soft conversations and quiet laughs. Gordon waves Darnold off when he drops him off and finally heads back home.

Darnold always tries his best to help. His own personal philosophy is to always ask for help when you need it. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to take his own advice.

Darnold has never made his own calls. He’s tried before- finger shakily hovering over the call button as he tries to muster up the courage- but he’s never been able to make that call. There’s always an excuse- _it’s late, they need to sleep, I don’t feel that bad, I don’t want to bother them, I’m fine_ \- and Darnold can never get past that excuse once it's formed.

But the thing about always striving to be there for other people is that they often like to return the favor.

Darnold wakes up with a trapped scream in his throat and tries _hard_ not to shake. His sudden movement jolts Forzen awake, who searches for a hostile source before realizing Darnold’s state. He wakes up Tommy and the pair of them whisper reassurances to Darnold until he can speak and spill his problems out.

Some days when the fear of being trapped deep underground won’t fade, the three of them (Plus Sunkist) have an impromptu camping night and sleep under the stars. Darnold holds onto his boyfriends and reminds himself over and over again that he’s not alone. Not anymore.

Some days, Darnold doesn’t sleep well and it shows more than he would like. The second Bubby notices, he starts trying to find out why as subtly as he can, then his intentions get far more obvious when he starts listing off solutions.

Benrey on the other hand, drags Darnold off to play Laser Tag, insisting it’s a ‘Mandatory fun day’ to help de-stress. Darnold can’t deny that it does help.

Coomer almost always invites him out for a ‘Morning workout’ and catches him alone so they can talk. When Darnold doesn’t want to talk, Coomer introduces him to his favorite workout routine: Punching a sandbag to get his feelings out. It’s surprisingly effective.

And when nothing else worked, Darnold once received a jar of what looked like alien plant seeds with a note saying that chewing on them induces a natural chemical that makes one fall asleep for 6-10 hours. Darnold took one look at the handwriting and knew that Mr. Coolatta had something to do with it.

Darnold has never been great at asking for help. Luckily, he has a habit of jumping at the chance of helping others and causing a boomerang effect so they often want to do the same for him.

Which Darnold finds is a pretty good thing to have.

**Author's Note:**

> This was not 2k words of me projecting onto Darnold nooooo what are you talking about
> 
> The only note I can think of for this one is that I think that the song 'Touch-Tone Telephone' goes very well with it. I'm quite tired right now so I can't think of what else to say, other than this was a pretty calming thing to write for me so hopefully it was the same feeling reading it
> 
> As always, Comments are appreciated, encouraged, and motivating for me! Thank you for reading!


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